Holding Hands with a Stranger (will probably not be continued)
by NotJustADaydreamer
Summary: When Peridot is evicted from her apartment, she is left homeless, and has no idea what to do. Lapis finds her one night after work, curled up in an alley, in a particularly bad part of town. She can't just leave her there, so she takes her in. But Lapis can barely support herself, how can she support another person too? Stay positive, Steven says. (Lapidot) (Human AU)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'd just like to put a small possible trigger warning for this first chapter, there's a creepy, predator guy in this chapter. Don't worry, this story is NOT going to be super dark and gruesome, I just wanted to give a heads up incase that might bother anyone.**

Lapis drives down the street. She leaves the brighter lights of Empire City behind and comes to a slightly dimmer and dirtier part of the city, but it was the only place she could afford an apartment... so she just had to deal. How may times had she driven down this street? Had to be a over a hundred. At least. And she'd probably be driving down this rode many, many times after. Assuming she didn't find another job for a while, and at least made enough money to move out of this dump.

"No," Lapis muttered. "things are going to get better." she repeated Steven's words, part of her not believing it. She wanted to fully believe it, desperately, but she couldn't. The logical part of her brain wouldn't let her. But Steven's logical part of his brain was the hopeful part of him.

Lapis would always try to hide her sadness from Steven, but Steven could tell. Steven could always tell. It was that one thing she really didn't like about him, but also really liked about him.

With a sigh, she remembered another thing Steven had told her.

Steven and his dad had come into McDonald's for dinner and to visit her, (with all the money Greg had earned, it wasn't uncommon for them to visit on weekends) and the moment he came bouncing in, Steven complimented Lapis on her outfit. Lapis gave Steven a look of confusion, before saying, "Steven, this is just my uniform. A McDonald's uniform."

"I know! But you still look good in it." he beamed.

"Thanks?" Lapis said, still confused. Was he up to something? Lapis wasn't sure. Steven could be overly random and over the top with his compliments. It was nice, but confusing sometimes.

"Now you have to do something nice for someone else!" Lapis looked over at Greg, but he just shrugged and smiled. Steven then proceeded to go on a ramble about how he had an assignment from school to do something nice for someone, and then tell them they had to do the same. It was all about "spreading kindness across the world". Lapis smiled as Steven explained, even though she knew for a fact that over half of his middle school wouldn't do one kind thing, unless you paid them to. "Lapis?" Steven asked. "Promise me you will?"

Lapis blew out a heavy sigh, "I promise." She didn't want to promise, but she would do it for Steven. It was just one nice thing, how hard could it be?

"Pinky promise?" He stuck out his pinky. Lapis heard laughing behind her, and she turned around to give her co-workers a death stare. They immediately shut up.

Lapis turned back around and hooked her pinky with Steven's. "Pinky promise." She said with a half smile.

"By the end of the day?"

"By the end of the day. I promise."

Greg got done paying for their meals, and Lapis felt a hand a her shoulder. "Lapis."

With a sigh that only happened inside her head, Lapis turned around to face her manger, a fake smile plastered across her face. She heard soft chuckling behind her again, this time you could tell it was trying to be masked. "Yes, boss?" she asked.

"You're supposed to be serving food, not making pinky promises with random kids."

Lapis gritted her teeth slightly. "You're mistaken, sir, that was my friend, Steven." Lapis said with her fake ass smile plastered on her face. She heard more chuckles behind her, and mumbles, "Friend? She's friends with a dorky ten year old?"

"Well, don't let it happen again." Lapis stared at her manager, trying to control herself from saying something she'd regret. Lapis wanted to shout back an array of things, such as, "There isn't even anyone else in line!" and "Wouldn't it be rude to cut off a customer?! Huh, ever thought of that, buddy?!" and, also, "You'd find something wrong no matter what I do!" There are more... but some things are better off unsaid.

Lapis stood there a moment, going over all the things she could shout at her manager. And boy, was it tempting. She could say exactly what had been on her mind for the past months, she could tell her boss exactly how much she hated him. And when that was done, she could tell everyone else just how much she hated them, with an assortment of plain awful words, because what did she have to lose? She would already be getting fired anyway!

But Lapis just stood there and stared at her boss and swallowed, remembering first that Steven was very near, and second, despite how much she hated to admit it, she really needed this job. But what almost set her off, almost made her cuss out pretty much everyone in that restaurant, was, "Probably friends with him because she doesn't have any other friends."

It. Took. Lapis. A. Lot. Of. Self. Control. For. That. One.

She swallowed again, before saying, "I won't, boss."

Her boss smiled a much less fake looking smile (but still fake), before saying, "You can clock out for the night." and turning around, walking away. Lapis waited until her boss had gotten a good enough distance, before she lost the smile and it turned into a grimace. Her co-workers were all laughing their asses off, but Lapis didn't turn to them until she heard the familiar "clank" of the back door closing and her manager walking outside. Then, she turned to them, and without hesitation, pinpointed her target, the asshole who made that last comment, grabbed him by the collar, and backhanded him across the face. She would've probably punched him, if there hadn't been people in the restaurant. Then, she quickly gathered her stuff, clocked out, and left, her heart pounding with anger as she ran to her car.

Lapis sighed, remembering she hadn't done anything nice, but rather the opposite of that. She wouldn't have felt at all ashamed, but Steven was right there and probably saw everything. She probably disappointed him so much.

She rides in silence for the next minute, the adrenaline running hot in her veins dying down slowly. She took a deep breath. In. Out. In. Out. She pushes everything out of her mind, and turns on the radio to help distract her. She notices how fast she's going, and considerably slows down, knowing it probably isn't good to be driving that fast when you were all pumped up.

Then, when she sees something out of the corner of her eye, she slows down completely, to see a small, pale figure huddled up in an alleyway, just close enough that the street light could shine on her blanket. "What on Earth is she doing there in this part of town?" Lapis had seen homeless people before, but everyone knew this was not the place to be, especially at this time. She opens her car door, and slowly walks over to the woman. She notices how dirty the blanket is, and that the backpack that was on her back that looked like everything she owned was inside. Everything she owned probably was inside. The woman's eyes were wide with fear, and she clearly didn't know what to do. "Hey. What are you doing here? Do you know how crime filled this town is?"

The woman shook her head. "I, I had no where else to go. I wasn't aware this was a bad part of town, or, worse than the other parts, at least."

"Clearly." Lapis said. "Well, I'm not just leaving you here, come on." Lapis outstretched her hand. _What are you doing? You're not just going to take in some random stranger!_

The woman looked hesitant, and afraid. Deep in her eyes, Lapis could see her brain working a mile a minute.

Lapis took a deep breath. "Look, I know you're scared, but I promise, I won't murder you, or whatever the reason you're afraid is."

The woman stared at Lapis' hand. Lapis could see the gears turning in her head, thinking, re-thinking, and re-thinking her decision and possible outcomes. Cautiously, she was just about to take Lapis' hand, when footsteps came into ear-range and both of their heads turned to see a man walking towards them.

Lapis grabs the woman's hand, and whispers, "Get in the car." as she pushes her towards the car quickly. They get so close, but the man had grabbed Lapis' arm just before they could jump in. "Hey, what are two pretty ladies like you doing out here all alone?"

Lapis tried to yank her arm away, but the man had a death grip on it. She could feel herself starting to panic. "Just going home." she said.

"Hey, why don't you let me drive you home?" His grip tightened. Lapis' mind was racing, seeing all the horrible things that could come of this. Her breath picked up and her heart was beating so fast right now, she could faint.

"We've got it." Lapis says firmly.

"No, I insist."

That was it. Lapis doesn't hesitate, she kicks him right in the groin, and pulls her arm away as quickly as possible. "Get in the car!" She shoves the woman in and as quickly as she can, and before the woman is in the passenger seat, gets in herself and slams the door shut, stepping on the gas and speeding away.

When they are a considerable distance away after what seemed like a full minute, they both let out a huge sigh, continuing to pant heavily until both of them are calmed down a little bit. After a few minutes, Lapis turns to the woman and asks, "What's your name?"

"P-Peridot. Peridot Green."

Lapis nods, before saying, "Lapis Lazuli." She pauses for a few moments, before asking "Are you okay?"

Peridot nods. "Are you?"

Lapis rubs her arm. "Yeah."

They sit in silence for the rest of the ride. Lapis turns up the radio a bit so it isn't so awkward. As she calms herself down, she takes note of the fact that Peridot's feet don't even reach the floor of the car.

Peridot has her hands in her lap, and is staring out the window. She seems lost in thought, but also focused on something Lapis can't see. Lapis reaches out and softly takes Peridot's hand. Peridot is immediately pulled out of her thoughts and turns her head to look at Lapis. Even though Lapis' eyes are on the road, she can tell out of the corner of her eye that Peridot is studying her. After staring at her for what seemed like hours, Peridot looks down at their hands, and studies them for a few moments, before leaning back into the seat and sighing, and Lapis can feel her body relax. After a few minutes, she begins to move her thumb back and fourth, in a circular motion, gently rubbing the top of Peridot's hand.

Lapis is lost in thought as she drives down the road, replaying the events of the last few minutes. As her mind drifts, it goes back to earlier today, when she saw Steven.

 _Well, I did something nice today._ Lapis thinks.

She hadn't thought it would be be taking in a homeless woman.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: There's drug mention in this, but that's it, just a mention. I don't think it's enough to need a trigger warning, but I'm putting one anyway, just incase.**

Peridot and Lapis walk through the door of Lapis' apartment in a slight rush. Both of them wanted to get in as quick as possible. As Lapis slammed the door, they both let out a sigh, and Lapis slides down the door to the floor, staring up at the ceiling. The whole house seems as if it us in a hushed silence for a moment as Lapis thinks. All that can be heard is the breathing of the two girls.

As their breathing slows, Peridot slouches to the ground, and rests her head on the thin carpet. She can feel the slight "bump" the thrums through her skull as it clunks on the wood beneath it. Closing her eyes, she runs her fingers though her already splayed out hair. She doesn't care that it's messy.

After a few minutes have passed, Peridot quietly turns her head. Lapis' face is scrunched up. _Thinking._ is all Peridot comments on that. Despite how much she denied it- she looked like that when she was thinking, too. Which meant she had that expression, always, no matter what. The face was a curse- the brain was a blessing. Most of the time.

Peridot swallows, before, "Thank you."

As Lapis is quickly broken away from her thoughts, her eyes widen and her eyes are trained on the woman beside her in a split second. "Huh?" Lapis mentally slaps herself. In the process of thinking about what the hell she had just done, she'd somehow forgotten that woman was right there.

"Thanks- Thank you. For that."

For some reason, it takes Lapis a second to process what she'd just said. "Oh- yeah, sure." _No._ "You're welcome." _Stop._ "I mean- it's no big deal. Any one would have done it. I couldn't have just left you out there."

Peridot shakes her head. "Both you and I know that not any one would do that, especially for a random stranger." It occurs to Lapis that Peridot's voice has a nasally undertone to it. "So thank you."

Lapis doesn't know how to respond, so she just nods.

Peridot shifts uncomfortably, before Lapis mentally slaps herself again. "I- um, you'll probably want to shower, right? How long have you been out there for?" she stutters. It was a rare sight for Lapis to be flustered.

"Two days. Well- three days, this would've been three nights."

"Okay. Here- um, let me take your stuff." Lapis reaches for Peridot's bag and Peridot pulls away quickly, snarling at Lapis. "Woah, hey! I was only trying to be polite!" Lapis growls. She immediately eyes Peridot up and down. The only reason she would be that wary would be because she had something to hide. Lapis freezes for a second, wondering whether to grab the bag or to just kick her out right then and there.

Peridot scoffs. "Oh, please. I don't have drugs."

Lapis grits her teeth. "And how do I know that?"

"Well, for one, I don't even have the money for drugs." Peridot snapped.

Lapis pursed her lips. She had a point. Deflating a little, she sighed, "Sorry. Just let me take your bag, and I promise I won't look through it. Okay?" Peridot scrunched up her nose, clutching her bag to her chest. "Okay- fine. Keep your bag. Bathroom's that way." Lapis stands up and points to the bathroom.

She is growling to herself as she falls onto the couch. Seeing Peridot hasn't moved, she hisses at her, "Well, go! And make it quick." Peridot nods sheepishly and mumbles some things to herself, and then after a few moments, Lapis hears the bathroom door open with a soft creak, and then close quietly.

She takes a few deep breaths, clearing her mind, thinking about how all of this was going to play out. Peridot would sleep on the couch. There was one plan. ...That was it, though. That was all she could think about. She was too tired to even worry about the more important things. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe everything would be okay. Maybe it really wouldn't cost too much to accommodate another person. Lapis hoped and prayed to the heavens that it wouldn't.

When she hears the pitter patter of water coming from the bathroom, she gets up and hangs her purse on the coat hanger and goes to her bedroom to change. She tosses her hat on the bed, which is just a mattress on the floor, and ruffles her blue hair until you couldn't tell if it was ever brushed. She unbuttons her shirt, tossing that on the bed as well, and takes a moment to look at herself in the mirror. Tired. She looks... tired. Not necessarily sleepy tired, just... tired. Sleepy tired, too. She lets out a heavy, elongated sigh, before undressing the rest of the way and slipping on her pajamas, which meant the nearest oversized t-shirt. And baggy shorts, because she supposed it would be considered "inappropriate" to wear just panties and a big shirt with someone else around. She wonders if she should get anything for Peridot, but then remembers that it's probably in that bag Peridot was so protective of.

She slips back out of the bedroom, and opts on lazing on the couch until Peridot gets out of the shower. She hums to herself, staring at the ceiling while swaying her leg that was hanging off the side of the couch back and forth, her toes brushing the floor. When Peridot finally comes out of the bathroom, she's dressed in white boxers with bright green aliens on them, and a black sweater with the same alien logo on the right shoulder. She was carrying the bag in her hand, well, dragging it across the floor and yawning. Lapis sits up, stares at Peridot as she sits down. Peridot tries to rub the sleep out of her eyes, but when she sees Lapis is staring at her, she stops. "What?"

Lapis rolls her eyes. "Do you have a blanket and a pillow, or do I need to get you them?" Lapis asks.

"Oh, yeah, yeah." Peridot unzips her bag to remove the Camp Pining Hearts blanket and pillow (which Lapis was shocked to see).

"Well, goodnight. You sleep out here on the couch." Lapis says, getting up, before immediately turning back around. "And you'd better not try to steal anything." Her voice was strong and threatening. Peridot just nodded nervously.

Lapis gives her one last stare, before walking to her own room. "Aren't you going to lock the door?" Peridot asks.

Lapis freezes for a second, "Uh, yeah," she stutters, snatching her keys from her purse and locking the door quickly before putting them back. "Thanks for reminding me."

Peridot nods.

The door to Lapis' bedroom squeaks shut, and Peridot is alone with her thoughts. She places down the pillow, positioning it until she is satisfied. She wraps herself up in her blanket, and then tosses and turns for the next ten minutes until she finds the perfect sleeping position. When her thoughts die down, she's finally able to fall into sleep.


End file.
